CHICAGO — Whenever Bears tight end Martellus Bennett gets in front of an audience, the man who nicknamed himself “The Black Unicorn” goes for laughs, so naturally that you expect him to remind everybody to tip the wait staff.

Asked about a sore shoulder Sunday after his 16-yard touchdown catch with 10 seconds left gave the Bears a thrilling 31-30 comeback victory over the Vikings, Bennett sensed another opportunity.

“I’m not a doctor, but I like to watch ‘House,’ ” Bennett said with a wry smile.

Bennett earlier teased reporters for acting like kindergartners. He colorfully turned legitimate curiosity over his key 23-yard reception on the winning drive into a comparison of Muhammad Ali.

“I move like a butterfly and sting like a bee,” Bennett said. “I like to be like a butterfly and spread your wings. You ever try to catch a butterfly with your hands? You can’t do it.”

The Vikings didn’t find Bennett’s act so amusing — and nobody should be fooled by his funny guy routine. For all the flak Bennett deserved for not going out of bounds in the final minute, he earned a shot at redemption by running his mouth all the way into the end zone.

The Bears ran the same play earlier that they called on the game-winning connection. Bennett had noticed the way the cornerback favored the wide receiver running a shorter route near the numbers, which created a crevice near the sidelines. Excited, Bennett quickly located quarterback Jay Cutler.

“We talked, ‘If he covers me like this, just throw it to me back-shoulder and I’ll go up and make the catch,’ ” Bennett said.

With the outcome at stake, that’s exactly what happened in the southeast end zone. Vikings cornerback Chris Cook drifted slightly enough toward Earl Bennett underneath, opening a window in the zone defense for Martellus Bennett near the pylon. Cutler delivered the ball to the only spot it fit.

“We had one play left in the bag,” coach Marc Trestman said. “(Cutler) threw to the right guy at the right time.”

It capped another fourth-quarter rally against a 2012 playoff team, which allowed the Bears to feel as good as any NFC contender. With 3:08 left, the Bears regained the ball. Ten plays later, Cutler presented new evidence to consider him a clutch quarterback in 2013, and the Bears served noticed that no lead is safe against their suddenly explosive offense.

“It’s still early, but we’re trying to find our identity, and right now it’s as a team that never quits,” Bennett said.

So far, intestinal fortitude combined with intelligence equals 2-0.

But perhaps nothing symbolizes how the Bears have caught up to the league more than the emergence of the tight end position. In two games, Bennett already has 10 receptions for three touchdowns. Last year, Bears tight ends combined for 29 catches and three TDs all season.

Among other things, Bennett credits the rapport he has established with wide receiver Brandon Marshall and Cutler.

“We always talk about fighting off our demons before the day starts,” Bennett said. “We’re like, ‘Don’t bring no demons out here.’ ”

On the play that kept the Bears unbeaten, the devil was in the details.

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